I Am A Woman, And I Ride

A while ago we asked you to send in your bicycling stories and you didn't disappoint! We are trying to make sure everyone out there realizes that cyclists are real live human beings, not just anonymous people on wheels. Your stories put a face on cycling. These stories are part of a larger campaign to make cycling safer for everyone in Massachusetts, stay tuned for more information about this campaign.

We are still accepting entries, so be sure to read below to find out how to send in your story.

Our first story comes from Emily:

Where I Ride: grocery stores, library, post office, town schools, friends' houses, local farmHow Often I Ride: most days, except when there's too much snow/ice

My Story:I'm 61, healthy and able to ride my bike for most of my errands. We live about a half mile from the center of Weston, our land abutting the old Mass Central rail line. Though the Mass Central is not yet an official rail trail, I'm able to use it to get to the three stores where I buy my groceries, in Weston, Wayland and Watertown. I go out my door to the trail and ride west toward Weston's Omni Market or to Wayland's Whole Foods, or east toward Waltham, where after a short bit on roads I can pick up the Charles River Way at Prospect Street. From there, I follow the river to the Heron Bridge in Watertown, then cut through parking lots to Russo's. It takes me about 5 minutes to ride into Weston Center, and between a half and three quarters of an hour to Wayland or Watertown. I also ride to the Weston Library and to Land's Sake Farm, both about 10 minutes from our house.

My bike is one I inherited from our third son. We gave it to him about 15 years ago when he was around 12. My husband, Dave, took it to Frank's Spoke and Wheel for a thorough overhaul a couple years ago and it works well, especially with the "new" tire Dave salvaged from a bike he found at the Weston transfer station. I have a couple old saddle bags on the rear wheel in which I can put up to about 45 pounds of groceries.

My biking carries on a family tradition, which continues with all four of our kids. My parents both rode their bikes into their 80's. When my mom was in her mid 70's, she took her 2 longest rides, one from Weston to the Cape, the other from Weston to Peterboro, NH. Here's hoping I'll be able to do the same!

Thanks Emily! Cycling is a wonderful family tradition.

We want to hear your story. Tell us about yourself and how bicycling is a part of your life. Just copy and paste the form below into an email, fill it in, and send it to shane@massbike.org.

Name:

Email:

Where You Ride:

How Often You Ride:

Your Profession/Relation/Title (lawyer, nurse, Grandma, son, etc):

A picture of you on your bicycle, or you in your daily life (be sure we can see your face):